#Web Aligner Unit

[lianadelune]

in another life

pairing: emperor caracalla x fem!reader

author's notes: so... i'm still in my brainrot era for caracalla and can't stop thinking about him, this is supposed to be a romeo and juliet based fanfic but i don't think that it's similar?? i tried, okay... also this is VERY occ for caracalla and there is probably some inconsistencies about ancient rome :)

warnings: character death

in the sprawling empire of rome, power was a fickle god, worshiped by many and feared by all. the twin emperors, caracalla and geta, ruled with an iron grip, their partnership fraught with rivalry and shadowed by whispers of rebellion. their reign was a delicate balance between ruthless control and the ever-looming threat of betrayal.

you arrived at the so-called capital of the world with your father, a king of a distant and prosperous kingdom that bordered this grandiose empire. rome had extended its hand in friendship to your land, offering an alliance that promised prosperity in exchange of the rich resources that they coveted. but beneath your father’s polished words and ceremonial offerings lay a darker purpose: he had aligned himself with the rebellious senators, promising aid in their scheme to assassinate the emperors.

as your father’s only child, you were raised to understand the intricacies of court politics. you were his crown jewel, the tool he wielded to charm, to negotiate, to manipulate. in the emperor’s court, you were not just his daughter—you were his weapon, his most valuable pawn in this dangerous game. raised to charm and manipulate, you knew your role well—to earn the emperors’ trust, particularly caracalla’s, and distract him long enough for your father’s plan to unfold.

your arrival was announced with all the pomp rome could muster. the imperial palace loomed above you, an oppressive monument to the power of the two brothers who sat on its throne. emperor caracalla and emperor geta greeted you in the grand atrium, their guards standing stiffly at attention.

geta spoke first, his smile cool and diplomatic. "we welcome you to rome. we hope this alliance will strengthen the bonds between our nations."

caracalla stood beside him, his gaze sharp and appraising as it rested on you. where geta greeted you and your father with the smooth diplomacy of a seasoned statesman, caracalla’s approach was raw, unfiltered.

"your daughter must be the jewel of your court," caracalla said, his eyes lingering on you. "tell me, princess, are you here to negotiate for your father or to keep us distracted with your beauty?"

his eyes locked onto yours, and for a moment, the noise of the palace faded into nothingness, a blush crept up your neck, but you met his gaze without flinching. "perhaps both, caesar. beauty has its uses, after all."

he smirked at your boldness, though something in his expression shifted—a flicker of interest, perhaps. it was the beginning of a dangerous dance, one you were unsure you could win.

your father laughed, the sound forced and hollow. "she is here to learn, caesar. to see the heart of the empire and to witness its greatness."

"and perhaps," geta interjected smoothly, "to see a future where our nations stand united."

the meeting was brief, a show for the gathered senators and nobles. but as you followed your father out of the hall, you felt caracalla’s gaze linger on you, heavy and unrelenting.

days turned to weeks, and you found yourself drawn into the web of roman politics and deeply intertwined with your father’s plan alongside the senate, your role in the plan was clear: earn caracalla’s trust, distract him, and keep him blind to the storm brewing around him. but the emperor was not an easy man to deceive.

caracalla was nothing like his brother. where geta was polished and calculating, but still easily manipulated by your father’s tactics and the promise of becoming more rich and powerful with the fake alliance, caracalla was unrestrained, he moved through the court like a lion in a cage waiting for an opening, a weakness to attack.

this was the man you had to win over.

but, despite your father’s warnings, you found yourself intrigued by him.

it all started the very next day.

the palace gardens were caracalla’s private sanctuary, a place rarely visited by anyone but the emperor himself. you had stumbled upon it by accident, your wandering taking you through a small, ivy-covered archway that led into the hidden oasis. the air smelled of blooming jasmine and freshly turned soil, and the sound of a trickling fountain filled the space.

you were admiring the garden when you heard a low voice behind you. “you’ve found my secret.”

startled, you turned to see caracalla standing just beyond the archway. he wasn’t wearing his usual armor or the heavy robes you saw him wearing the other day, but a simple tunic and sandals. the sight of him like this—relaxed, almost unguarded—caught you off guard.

“i didn’t mean to intrude,” you said quickly, scared of the outburst that you heard happening in the walls of the palace when emperor caracalla felt unease “i didn’t realize this was yours.”

he stepped forward, waving off your concern. “you don’t need to apologize.” his tone was light, but there was a faint amusement in his eyes.

you shifted awkwardly, unsure whether to leave or stay. “it’s… beautiful here. i wouldn’t have expected this from you.”

his lips curved into a small, sardonic smile. “because you think I’m incapable of appreciating beauty?”

“i think you spend so much time commanding armies, intimidating senators and watching fights in the colosseum that it’s hard to imagine you planting flowers,” you said boldly, surprising even yourself.

he chuckled—a low, warm sound that made your chest tighten. “fair. but even a tyrant needs a place to think.” he gestured for you to follow him deeper into the garden.

you hesitated, then complied, walking beside him as he led you to a stone bench beneath a towering olive tree. the fountain gurgled nearby, its water sparkling in the afternoon sun.

“you come here often?” you asked, glancing at him.

“when i can,” he admitted, sitting on the bench and gesturing for you to do the same. “this was my mother’s garden. she designed it herself.”

the mention of his mother softened his voice, and you sat down, intrigued by this side of him. “it’s lovely,” you said. “she must have been a remarkable woman.”

“she was,” he said quietly. for a moment, his usual bravado faded, leaving something raw and unguarded in its place. “she loved things that grew. said it was a reminder that life could flourish even in the harshest conditions.”

his words surprised you. this wasn’t the cruel emperor you had been warned about, the man whose name was spoken with fear and loathing in equal measure. this was someone else entirely—a son mourning his mother, a man seeking solace in a world that demanded so much from him, as a princess soon to be queen, you felt for him.

“i think she’d be proud of what you’ve done with it,” you said softly.

he glanced at you, his gaze searching. “and what about you, princess? what do you think?”

you hesitated, unsure if he was asking about the garden or himself. finally, you said, “i think there’s more to you than what people say.”

his expression shifted, a flicker of vulnerability crossing his face. “and if i told you i don’t know how much of that man is left?”

you looked at him, truly looked at him, and saw not the monster your father had painted him to be but a man struggling beneath the weight of an empire. “then maybe you should spend more time here,” you said gently, gesturing to the garden. “it seems to bring out the best in you.”

he smiled then—a real smile, not the sardonic smirk or the calculated grin you had grown accustomed to. it was fleeting, but it made your heart skip all the same.

“perhaps you’re right,” he said, his voice soft.

the two of you sat there for a while, the silence between you warm and unspoken, the garden wrapping you in its quiet embrace. and for the first time, you wondered if you had misjudged him entirely.

as weeks turned into months, your encounters with caracalla became more frequent and intimate. he shared stories of his childhood, of the relentless pressure to prove himself, while you offered glimpses of your own struggles—carefully omitting your father’s true intentions.

one afternoon, during a rare moment of peace, caracalla pulled you aside, leading you to a hidden alcove in the palace. “i want to show you something,” he said, his voice quieter than usual.

he revealed a small pendant, its surface engraved with intricate patterns. “my mother gave this to me when i was a boy,” he explained. “she said it would protect me.”

“it’s beautiful,” you said, studying the craftsmanship.

he hesitated, then pressed the pendant into your palm. “i want you to have it.”

your breath caught. “i can’t take this. it’s yours.”

“i trust you with it,” he said, his tone firm but kind. “and… i trust you.”

the weight of his words left you speechless, and as he closed your fingers around the pendant, you realized that your heart had betrayed you entirely and you felt the first stirrings of guilt for the betrayal you were complicit in.

days passed and you hadn’t heard from either emperor caracalla or emperor geta, not even your father, who was starting to feel unease.

“what if they found out?” he would repeat to you pretty much every night after another day passed without hearing a word from the twins “did we underestimate them somehow? did the senate underestimate them?”

a part of you wanted that to be true, that both of the emperors discovered your father and the senate’s plans, even if that would mean your death, even if you would have to stare at caracalla’s eyes after you had betrayed him, you could do that as long as he didn’t die.

but then the gilded invitation arrived in the early hours of the day, you were already awake, anxious about your father’s anxiety, so you were the only one in the house to pick them up from the praetorian guard, after thanking the man and closing the door, you admired the letter’s ornate edges and wax seal marking it as a token of the imperial court. you turned it over in your hands, noting the unfamiliar handwriting on one of the envelopes. unlike the formal script of past correspondences, this handwriting was bold and deliberate, almost impatient.

breaking the seal, you unfolded the parchment and read:

“to honor the customs of your homeland, a ball will be held tonight in the imperial palace. wear your finest attire. i will be waiting. – c.”

your breath hitched at the signature. not geta, whose name was synonymous with the empire's carefully curated diplomacy. no, this was unmistakably from caracalla. the thought of his hand crafting those words sent a strange thrill through you, though you quickly shook it off.

that evening, the palace was aglow with light, torches and lanterns casting a golden hue over the sprawling marble corridors. the distant hum of music grew louder as you approached the grand ballroom, your gown—a rich fabric from your homeland—whispering against the polished floor.

inside, nobles twirled in an elaborate dance, their laughter mingling with the music. the scent of spiced wine and fresh flowers filled the air. yet, despite the overwhelming splendor, you felt his presence before you saw him.

caracalla stood near the far end of the ballroom, his dark attire contrasting starkly with the vibrant colors of the guests. his gaze swept the room until it found you, and once it did, it remained fixed, unwavering.

you hesitated, your heart racing. you could feel the weight of his attention as he made his way through the crowd, his movements deliberate and unhurried.

“princess,” he greeted when he finally reached you, his voice low and rich.

“caesar,” you replied, curtsying slightly.

“you wear the traditions of your homeland well,” he said, his eyes tracing the intricate embroidery of your gown before returning to meet your gaze. “the room pales in comparison.”

heat rose to your cheeks, and you struggled to maintain your composure. “flattery is unbecoming of an emperor.”

he smirked, leaning in slightly. “then perhaps i’ll save it for when we’re alone.”

before you could respond, he extended his hand. “dance with me.”

you glanced around, noting the curious stares of the other guests, but you knew refusing would only draw more attention. reluctantly, you placed your hand in his, and he led you to the center of the ballroom.

the music shifted to a slower tempo as he pulled you into the first steps of the dance. his hand settled firmly on your waist, his other holding yours with surprising gentleness.

“you look uneasy,” he observed, his tone teasing but not unkind.

“i’m dancing with the emperor,” you replied, forcing a small smile. “should i not be?”

“perhaps,” he said, his lips curving into a faint smile. “but I’d prefer if you didn’t look so ready to flee.”

his words struck too close to the truth, and you averted your gaze, focusing instead on the rhythm of your steps. yet, even as you tried to maintain distance, his presence was overwhelming, his gaze drawing you back to him.

“you intrigue me,” he admitted softly, his voice low enough that only you could hear.

“why?” the word escaped before you could stop it.

“because you’re different,” he said simply. “you don’t fawn or flatter. you look at me like…” he trailed off, searching for the right words. “like i’m human.”

for a moment, the mask he wore—the ruthless emperor, the conqueror—seemed to crack, revealing something more vulnerable beneath. it unsettled you, yet it also drew you in.

the music slowed, and the dancers around you began to disperse, but caracalla didn’t let go. instead, he guided you toward a quieter corner of the room, away from the prying eyes of the court.

“why do you do that?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper.

“do what?”

“look at me like…” you faltered, unsure how to articulate the intensity of his gaze.

“like you’re the only one here?” he finished for you, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

you nodded, your breath catching as he took a step closer.

“because you are,” he said, his voice soft yet resolute.

before you could process his words, he leaned in, his hand rising to cup your cheek. the kiss was slow, deliberate, and completely disarming. for a moment, the world fell away, leaving only the warmth of his lips and the steady pressure of his hand on your back.

but as the reality of what was happening sank in, panic gripped you. you broke away abruptly, your breathing uneven as you stepped back.

“i… i can’t,” you stammered, your voice trembling.

his expression didn’t falter. instead, a faint smile tugged at his lips, as though he had expected your reaction. “it’s all right,” he said gently. “i’ll wait.”

his confidence unnerved you, and before you could say anything more, you turned and fled, your heart racing as you slipped into the shadows of the palace halls.

even as you disappeared into the night, even after you went to your room, changed clothes and tried your best to forget what happened his words lingered in your mind as well as his lips against yours.

unbeknownst to you and caracalla, the senators had finalized their plans the night of the ball. your father’s role was to provide soldiers to infiltrate the palace under the cover of night, but he himself also wanted to be present to see the emperors being eliminated in a swift, coordinated attack by his men.

later that night doubt began to creep into your mind. caracalla, for all his flaws, had shown you a side of himself that few others had seen. his ferocity masked a profound loneliness, a desire to be understood that resonated deeply with you, besides you couldn’t deny to yourself anymore you were actually falling in love with him.

after twisting and turning in your bed, feeling the pendant he gave you as a gift weighing more and more as the hours passed you decided to confront your father.

"are you sure this is the only way?" you asked, your voice trembling

he turned to you while putting his armor, his expression hard. "do not forget your duty, my daughter. rome is a beast that devours all in its path. if we don’t strike first, it will destroy us."

you wanted to believe him. you wanted to convince yourself that caracalla was nothing more than a tyrant, that his death would save your people. but the thought of his blood on your hands made your chest tighten with a pain you couldn’t explain.

so when your father turned around to leave the house and meet with his soldiers and the senate one last time before killing the man you so loved, you made a decision on the spot.

the halls of the palace were dark and eerily silent, save for the soft rustle of your hurried steps. the chill of the night bit at your skin as you clutched your cloak tightly, the pendant caracalla had given you swinging against your chest with every movement.

you shouldn’t have been here. you shouldn’t have left your chambers, defying your father’s orders and the pact he had made with the senate. but the thought of caracalla lying dead, betrayed by those closest to him, made it impossible to stay away.

when you reached his quarters, you hesitated for a moment before pushing the heavy doors open.

caracalla stood by the window, his figure outlined by the pale moonlight. he turned at the sound, his expression softening when he saw you. but his brow furrowed when he noticed the fear etched across your face.

“princess,” he said, his voice low, laced with concern. “what’s wrong?”

“they’re coming for you,” you said, your voice trembling. “my father… the senate… they’ve sent soldiers to kill you and your brother.”

he stared at you, his face unreadable. “you shouldn’t be here,” he said, his tone gentle but firm. “if they find you with me—”

“i don’t care!” you interrupted, stepping closer. “i couldn’t let you die without warning you. without trying to save you.”

his jaw tightened, but before he could respond, the sound of boots echoed in the corridor outside. the soldiers had arrived.

caracalla moved to draw his sword, but you grabbed his arm. “no,” you said desperately. “you can’t fight them all. you’ll die.”

“and what would you have me do?” he asked, his voice heavy with resignation. “run? hide? i am caesar. if i must die, i will die standing.”

the doors burst open before you could respond, and a group of soldiers flooded into the room, their swords drawn. at their head stood a centurion, his gaze cold and unwavering as he pointed his blade at caracalla.

“step aside, princess,” the centurion commanded. “this is not your fight.”

you moved in front of caracalla, spreading your arms wide. “if you want to kill him,” you said, your voice steady despite the terror coursing through you, “you’ll have to kill me first.”

“don’t make this harder than it has to be,” the centurion said, his tone almost pleading. “step aside. this is justice.”

“justice?” you spat. “this is treachery. and i won’t be a part of it.”

the soldiers hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances. but the centurion raised his blade, his resolve hardening.

caracalla’s hand came to rest on your shoulder, and you turned to face him. his eyes, usually so fierce and calculating, were soft and full of something you hadn’t expected—peace.

“you didn’t have to do this,” he said, his voice low and full of emotion.

“yes, i did,” you replied, your voice breaking. “because i love you.”

the words tumbled out before you could stop them, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still. “i love you,” you said again, tears streaming down your face. “i don’t know when it happened, or how, but you’re not the monster they said you were. you’re flawed and human and—”

caracalla silenced you with a smile, his hand lifting to cup your cheek. “i love you, too,” he said, his voice as soft as the breeze outside. “i think i have since the moment i met you.”

he leaned down, his lips brushing yours in a kiss that was both tender and desperate, as if you could somehow pour all the words you hadn’t spoken into that single moment.

when he pulled back, his forehead rested against yours, his voice a whisper. “i wish we had more time.”

“in another life,” you said, your voice trembling, “the gods will grant us that wish.”

a shout from the soldiers brought you back to reality, and caracalla’s arms tightened around you.

the soldiers moved as one, their blades piercing through you and caracalla in unison. pain blossomed in your chest, but it was dulled by the warmth of his arms around you. you felt yourself falling, and he held you tightly, lowering you to the ground as his own strength faded.

your head rested against his chest, his heartbeat slowing beneath your ear. his lips pressed to your forehead one last time.

and as the darkness closed in, you clung to the hope that somewhere, in another life, you would find each other again.

in the years that followed, your story became legend. the foreign princess and the emperor who fell in love despite the odds, who died together in defiance of a world that sought to tear them apart.

the marble pillars of caracalla's room bore silent witness to your final act of defiance, and in the years to come, flowers were left there in quiet tribute to a love that defied the gods themselves.

rome remembered you not as a traitor, but as a symbol of love and loyalty—proof that even in the darkest times, light could be found in the unlikeliest of places.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Lisa Needham at Public Notice:

You’re forgiven for forgetting about TikTok for the last couple of days, what with the horrorshow avalanche of executive orders and gleeful deployment of Nazi salutes (plural!) from the world’s richest man. Nonetheless, TikTok is ostensibly banned in the United States as Democrats and Republicans overwhelmingly voted only nine months ago to outlaw the app unless its parent company, ByteDance, agreed to sell it. The US Supreme Court even upheld the law just last week. However, TikTok lives, thanks to the whims of Donald Trump, the same person who, in August 2020, issued an executive order giving ByteDance 45 days to sell the app or see it banned. Trump has been extremely transparent that he flip-flopped on TikTok because the app helped him win the election last year, in part because it became a hotbed for criticism of Biden’s support for Israel. “We won young people and I think that's a big credit to TikTok,” Trump told Newsmax earlier this month (even though he in fact lost the youth vote). “So I'm not opposed to TikTok ... I had a very good experience with TikTok." Lost in the current discourse about TikTok is an important conversation about whether it violates the First Amendment to ban a social media app based on national security concerns about its Chinese-owned parent company. Also lost is a debate about whether it’s fair to single out TikTok over worries about user privacy, data harvesting, and manipulative algorithms when such issues are common to all social media platforms. There’s also a discussion to be had about whether singling out TikTok is racist — though there’s a good argument it is. Instead, what’s happening here is the creeping oligarchy of companies and capital aligning around an authoritarian president, with everyone fully aware that sucking up to Trump personally, ideally along with staggering sums of cash, is the only way to evade scrutiny.

[...]

The art of the deal

To be scrupulously fair to Trump, he isn’t the only person who reversed course on TikTok. Once it was clear that the public opposed the ban and that the Supreme Court might not step in to save legislators from themselves, the Biden administration spent last week trying to figure out how to keep TikTok alive. Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Edward Markey introduced legislation to delay by 270 days the initial January 19 deadline for TikTok to be sold, despite having voted for the ban in the first place. The problem these efforts faced, however, is that TikTok wasn’t interested in working with the Biden administration or Senate Democrats to fix the problem. And why would they be, when Democrats are hobbled by a persistent inclination to actually follow laws rather than treat everything as an episode of The Apprentice, where flattering Trump as a master dealmaker is all that matters?

It’s exactly the latter approach that TikTok took. The ban required Google and Apple to remove it from their app stores or face steep fines for each user who downloaded the app. What it did not do, however, was penalize anyone who already had the app on their phone or accessed TikTok on the web. So the real financial peril would initially fall on Google and Apple if they kept the app available. After the Supreme Court decision last week, the Biden administration suggested it would not penalize those companies for continuing to host the app, a move TikTok said didn’t provide them enough “necessary clarity and assurance,” and they would therefore shut down in the United States on January 19. Thus began the public kayfabe of TikTok pretending that only Trump could fix it, knowing full well that he would happily go along. So the app went abruptly, ostentatiously dark on the evening of the January 18, only to pop back up some 12 hours later on January 19 with a gushing message to Trump: “We thank President Trump for providing the necessary clarity and assurance to our service providers that they will face no penalties providing TikTok to over 170 million Americans and allowing over 7 million small businesses to thrive.”

One might note, of course, that Trump was not president on January 19. One might also note that what Trump did promise — basically, that he would not enforce a law passed by Congress, signed by the president, and upheld by the Supreme Court — is not functionally any different than what Biden or Markey were trying to offer, albeit without a demand the company show them personal fealty. But if TikTok had simply left the lights on for those 12 hours and waited for the incoming administration to decide how to enforce the ban, it would have missed the opportunity to let Trump be the savior who brought the app back from the dead. And the one thing social media companies have learned about Trump is that their success will rise and fall with his impulses.

When social media platforms let Trump and his hangers-on say and do whatever they like, he loves them. Once X was purchased by president-unelect Elon Musk, it became transformed into a MAGA megaphone and no longer faces scrutiny from Trump. That’s a change from January 2021, when Trump complained that then-Twitter was “not about FREE SPEECH” after it banned his account following the insurrection. Though Meta didn’t change hands, it still transformed — or more accurately, perhaps, deformed — to meet the new Trump era. CEO Mark Zuckerberg got rid of third-party fact-checking on Facebook, calling it “politically biased,” and revised its hateful speech policy to explicitly allow for attacks on trans people. Zuckerberg donated $1 million to the inauguration, went to church with Trump Monday morning, and hosted a reception Monday night. For the inauguration itself, Zuckerberg, along with Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and Google head Sundar Pichai, was basically in the front row. Nothing says “incipient oligarchy” like an inauguration dominated by the richest men in the world, private citizens all.

TikTok’s cozying up to Donald Trump is a bad thing.

[boyfhee]

ⵌㅤWHEEL OF ℱATEㅤ ੭୧ㅤ ( 엔하이픈 )

✉️ soulmates exist— but it's a matter of chance. so goes a tale as old as time, speaking of lovers destined by fate and separated by worlds. take a chance, spin the wheel, let the stars align to bring you to your fated one.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ𝓻ules !

001 follow me, optional but appreciated ^0^

002 for genre, since this is a surprise event, click on this link and spin the wheel. it's all fluff, i promise ( with one surprise angst ) the right button is for spinning !

003 comment “ joining : genre + member / unit / ot7 ” reblog and tag at least three active accounts

004 only text fics are allowed, for a change!!! adding tweets, insta stores / posts is allowed as well. you can write for one member or the whole group, write for units— your choice, but it should be a text fic.

005 all works should be sfw with warnings stated clearly. moderately suggestive texts / undertones / jokes, is allowed but explicit nsfw isn't. please be mindful of what you're writing when it comes to riki, and jungwon too, actually.

006 add [⠀ㅤㅤㅤboyfhee ੭୧ 𝓌heel of 𝒻ate ] in first five tags and tag me

007 deadline : 30th of july, you are free to drop out anytime if you're unable to post your entry due to any circumstances. you can ask for extensions in dms

⩇⩇ : ⩇⩇ >< kisses to all those who are joining ^_^ i love text fics, i'm sure most of us do since they're a quick and fun read. also anyone can join, it really doesn't matter how big your account is— the more the merrier ! all the works will be linked in this post once posted :>

tips & resources ᐢᗜᐢ memimessage for texts and twinote for tweets. both apps are available for android and ios. the image limit on app is ten, however it's thirty on the web.

[daughterofheartshaven]

Doctor Who - an explanation and resolution of the UNIT Dating Controversy

This is in a series of Doctor Who expanded universe reconciliations. If you see a contradiction in the Doctor Who expanded universe, you can drop me an ask and I will come up with an explanation for it.

Ask by @silvermaple6

First, some context. The 1968 story The Web of Fear introduced the character of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, and he would be a prominent recurring character in the show from that point on until 1975's Terror of the Zygons. The Brigadier was the leader of the British Division of UNIT, a military & scientific organization that was designed to protect Earth from unconventional threats. The UNIT Dating Controversy is Doctor Who's most notorious continuity error: there are two conflicting accounts as to when the stories that featured Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart leading UNIT UK took place. Either they took place roughly at the same time as the episodes came out (so the late 60s and early 70s) or during the 80s.

So with that explained, I have two separate explanations as to how to resolve this problem. One of these explanations is designed to work only within the confines of the tv show and does not necessarily line up with the expanded universe, if you're inclined for a tv-purist answer, and the second one is more aligned with my usual "everything is canon at once" stance towards Doctor Who.

With that all out of the way, let's dive into it!

The usual ground rules apply here. Anything seen on tv, happened. I can recontextualize as much as I want but it still has to fit with everything we see onscreen. I also have to use all of an EU source if I use it. No picking and choosing bits.

A quick list of stories I will be referencing:

Tv:

The Abominable Snowmen: A second Doctor tv story that sets up The Web of Fear

The Web of Fear: A second Doctor tv story that introduces the Brigadier (but before he gained that rank)

The Invasion: A second Doctor tv story that features the Brigadier

The Time Warrior: The Third Doctor tv story that introduced Sarah Jane Smith and also features the Brigadier

The Pyramids of Mars: A Fourth Doctor tv story with Sarah Jane Smith as the companion

Mawdryn Undead: A Fifth Doctor tv story that features the Brigadier

The Day of the Doctor: An Eleventh Doctor tv story that makes an in-universe reference to the dating controversy

Flux: A Thirteenth Doctor tv story that briefly features the Brigadier (again, before he gained that rank)

Expanded Universe:

Interference: A BBC Eighth Doctor Adventures book featuring the Eighth Doctor and Sarah Jane Smith (and a few others, but those tow are the only important ones for the narrative today

The Enfolded Time: A short story in the Lethbridge-Stewart series (a prose series published by Candy Jar Books that stars Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart and other creations and IPs from the writing pair of Mervyn Haisman and Henry Lincoln)

The Split Infinitive: A Seventh Doctor audio drama published by Big Finish as a part of The Legacy of Time - an audio box set celebrating 20 years of Big Finish making Doctor Who audio stories.

An in-depth explanation of the discrepancy

The Brigadier and UNIT were primarily onscreen in the Third Doctor era, which ran from 1970-1974. The behind-the-scenes intentions from that era were that these stories took place "like ten years in the future" (which includes some really hilarious 70s guesses as to what the 80s would be like) but there also were never any direct references to this - with script editor Terrace Dicks deliberately avoiding giving dates in an attempt to avoid this exact sort of continuity error. Because of this, the only stories to make this intention of being set in the 80s explicit were in a couple Second Doctor stories and a Fourth Doctor story.

To elaborate, the 1968 story The Web of Fear features a character named Edward Travers. Travers had previously appeared in the story The Abominable Snowmen, which was definitively stated as taking place in 1935. In The Web of Fear, Travers references the events of The Abominable Snowmen being "over 40 years ago", putting The Web of Fear in 1975 or later. As mentioned above, this was the first appearance of Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart, then a Colonel in the regular army. The character would next appear, having been promoted to the rank of Brigadier, in The Invasion. In The Invasion, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart tells the Second Doctor it has been four years since he has seen the Doctor last, putting The Invasion at 1979 at the earliest. The Invasion is also notable for being the first story to feature UNIT, with it is implied that UNIT was founded in response to the events of The Web of Fear. Lethbridge-Stewart's involvement in UNIT explicitly as a result of his actions during The Web of Fear, which will become vaguely important in a bit

The Fourth Doctor story I mentioned above is the 1975 story The Pyramids of Mars. While it does not feature the Brigadier or other UNIT staff, it does feature Sarah Jane Smith, who had been established in her introductory story, The Time Warrior, as being from the same time as the Brigadier and UNIT. In The Pyramids of Mars, Sarah Jane references being from 1980, a claim which is corroborated by the Doctor briefly taking her to the version of 1980 where the villain of the episode, Sutekh was not stopped by them, leading to a desolate wasteland.

So by current evidence, all five years of Unit stories released between The Invasion and The Pyramids of Mars took place between 1979 and 1980. This strains credulity a little bit but is still vaguely plausible. It's the next story that breaks this completely.

After his departure from the show in 1975, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart returns in the Fifth Doctor 1983 story Mawydrn Undead. Here it is a major plot point that the Brigadier retired from UNIT and the military in 1976, and we see him adopting a new career of a maths teacher by 1977.

So this is where it all breaks. Going by the established dates, the Brigadier retired from UNIT before he ever joined it.

The only other tv story to add to this at all is, weirdly, 2021's Flux. This story's fifth episode has a scene that shows UNIT UK being operational by 1967, with its current leader, General Farquhar, mentioning a Corporal Lethbridge-Stewart being a on staff. In theory, this should take place between The Web of Fear and The Invasion, since Lethbridge Stewart is not a Brigadier yet but has joined UNIT. This would place both The Web of Fear and The Invasion as taking place in the 60s.

This does leave out the problem that Lethbridge-Stewart was a Colonel in The Web of Fear and not a Corporal (if you don't know military ranks, a Colonel is much higher up the chain of command then a Corporal), but given that General Farquhar is repeatedly shown to be somewhat unintelligent (his main role in Flux is to get manipulated then killed by one of Flux's minor villains), I'm comfortable saying that General Farquhar misspoke when he called his new Colonel a Corporal.

NuWho stories such as The Day of the Doctor have begun playing with this concept a little bit. For example, in The Day of the Doctor, Kate Stewart, the current leader of UNIT UK mentions the events of Terror of the Zygons happening in the 70s or 80s, "depending on the dating protocol."

The Tv-only explanation

So if you just want to make the tv show to be self-consistent without bringing the EU into it...

Then I can say that Travers made the very reasonable mistake of saying "forty years" when he actually meant "thirty years." I dunno about you, but I do stuff like that all the time when I'm talking and the plot moved on fast enough that the characters didn't come back to it.

As for Sarah Jane and 1980, that's a bit weirder. But you could say that Sarah Jane was at that point from 1985 or 1986 and rounded up because she liked having a nice round number to say where she was from. This does not feel like a normal thing to do, but Sarah Jane Smith is not a normal person. And the Doctor took her to an alternate 1980 because why not it was as good a date as any for him to make his point.

So there! Now all the UNIT stories can take place in the late 60s and 70s making the dates given in Mawydrn Undead and Flux work. But if you want to have a little more fun and see the explanation that is what I consider "canon," then I invite you to keep reading.

The Expanded Universe explanation

If you thought the tv version of this was a mess, the EU is so much worse. I really do not want to go through each and every book, comic, and audio that gives a date for the time the Brigadier was in charge of UNIT - if you want to explore the full list of contradictory dates, Tardis wiki has an excellent overview here. For the record, most of the EU tends to agree with Mawdryn Undead over anything else, but even those stories that put the Brigadier leading UNIT UK era in the early 70s often disagree with each other.

Luckily for me, I can just bypass all of that altogether.

So I mentioned above that the UNIT Dating Controversy is the most notorious continuity error in all of Doctor Who, and so uh my job here is actually a lot easier because of that. My Whoniverse essays are usually trying to reconcile the EU, but the Unit Dating Controversy is a problem that exists completely in the tv show. The different parts of the EU are somewhat disinclined to pay attention to each other, and the tv show doesn't care about contradicting the EU (which, for the record, is 100% a good thing. I think trying to stay in-line with established lore would be super limiting to the series and also deprive me of getting to write these essays!), a lot more people care about the tv show being consistent with itself.

Which is why the EU has not one but two ready-made solutions handed to me on a platter.

So the first one gets seeded in the book Interference. In it, Sarah Jane Smith says she can't remember if she worked with UNIT in the 70s or 80s, and the Doctor responds by saying that, "Temporal slippage… My fault, I'm afraid. I think it's currently the 1970s, but —", at which point he is interrupted.

This is followed up with the short story The Enfolded Time, which claims that the 70s and 80s were basically scrunched into a single decade by the Doctor visiting them so much. The story states that the disturbances were settled by 1990, and has the Brigadier working with UNIT to establish a new dating protocols - the same ones Kate would later be using.

Meanwhile, the audio story The Split Infinitive (set in both the 60s and 70s) features, at the end of the story, a "temporal shockwave" that the Seventh Doctor notes would affect nearby time travelers. The Brigadier's situation of retiring in the 70s after working in the 80s is explicitly mentioned as one side effect of the temporal shockwave.

I think both explanations are true. The temporal shockwave damaged the timezone around the 70s enough to weaken spacetime, so the Doctor entering and exiting the time vortex from UNIT UK's headquarters as frequently as he did caused the temporal slippage around the Brigadier and UNIT UK.

That's it for this one! If you have any comments or replies, I would love to hear them! And if you have any questions about discontinuity in the Doctor Who Expanded Universe that you would like me to tackle, send me a note or an ask!

[theoutcastrogue]

A copyright lawsuit filed by several major publishers puts the future of the Internet Archive's scan-and-lend library at risk. In a recent appeal, the non-profit organization argued that its solution is protected fair use and critical to preserving digital books. This position is shared by copyright scholars, the Authors Alliance, and other supporters now backing IA in court.

The Internet Archive (IA) is a non-profit organization that aims to preserve digital history for generations to come. The digital library is a staunch supporter of a free and open Internet and began meticulously archiving the web over a quarter century ago.

In addition to archiving the web, IA also operates a library that offers a broad collection of digital media, including books. Staying true to the centuries-old library concept, IA patrons can also borrow books that are scanned and digitized in-house.

Publishers vs. Internet Archive

The self-scanning service is different from the licensing deals other libraries enter into. Not all publishers are happy with IA’s approach which triggered a massive legal battle two years ago.

Publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, John Wiley, and Penguin Random House filed a lawsuit, equating IA’s controlled digital lending (CDL) operation to copyright infringement. Earlier this year a New York Federal court concluded that the library is indeed liable for copyright infringement.

The Court’s decision effectively put an end to IA’s self-scanning library, at least for books from the publishers in suit. However, IA is not letting this go without a fight and last week the non-profit filed its opening brief at the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, hoping to reverse the judgment.

Support from Authors Alliance

IA doesn’t stand alone in this legal battle. As the week progressed, several parties submitted amicus curiae briefs to the court supporting IA’s library. This includes the Authors Alliance.

The Authors Alliance represents thousands of members, including two Nobel Laureates, a Poet Laureate of the United States, and three MacArthur Fellows. All benefit from making their work available to a broad public.

If IA’s lending operation is outlawed, the authors fear that their books would become less accessible, allowing the major publishers to increase their power and control. The Alliance argues that the federal court failed to take the position of authors into account, focusing heavily on the publishers instead. However, the interests of these groups are not always aligned.

“Many authors strongly oppose the actions of the publishers in bringing this suit because they support libraries and their ability to innovate. Authors rely on libraries to reach readers and many are proud to have their works preserved and made available through libraries in service of the public.

“Because these publishers have such concentrated market power […], authors that want to reach wide audiences rarely have the negotiating power to retain sufficient control from publishers to independently authorize public access like that at issue here,” the Alliance adds.

This critique from the authors is not new. Hundreds of writers came out in support of IA’s digital book library at an earlier stage of this lawsuit, urging the publishers to drop their case. [...]

Copyright Scholars Back IA

In a separate amicus brief, several prominent legal and copyright scholars, many of whom hold professor titles, raise similar arguments. They believe that IA’s lending system is not that different from the physical libraries that are an integral part of culture.

“Libraries have always been free under copyright law to lend materials they own as they see fit. This is a feature of copyright law, not a bug,” the brief reads.

What is new here, is that publishers now assert full control over how their digital books are treated. Instead of allowing libraries to own copies, they have to license them, which makes it impossible to add them to the permanent archive.

“The major publishers refuse to sell digital books to libraries, forcing them to settle for restrictive licenses of digital content rather than genuine ownership. Moreover, publishers insist they can prevent libraries from scanning their lawfully purchased physical books and lending the resulting digital copies.” [...]

[cupcakeslushie]

Could you elaborate on Venus being a cyborg? I want to write a scene where Donnie performs maintenance, but I’m still not really sure which parts of Vee are metal and which aren’t.

Are any of her limbs detachable? Or is it all a metallic skeleton? Do you think she deals with phantom pains if Donnie has had to amputate anything?

Venus info dump!

@nintendogirl106734-blog Main boys with cloaking broaches!

Not a ton of peaceful moments, but when Draxum would leave the two would be able to relax and spend the day by Three’s wading pool.

Venus mask is stitched on. A lot of her skin/limbs was lost thanks to a combination of spending most of her life in a vat and also her illness. Three has to constantly perform maintenance and update her cybernetics and to make sure the transplants are healthy. So far whatever was causing her body to fail has been stopped from spreading. She does deal with a lot of general daily pain, less from Three’s cybernetics, because he did such a good job on them, and more on the joined spots where Draxum replaced with “spare parts”. It does however hurt when Three has to do mechanical repairs, but it’s normally so light and moves amazingly realistic that Venus often forgets that arm isn’t real.

Venus’s shell and plastron had to be replaced. The shell is mostly metal and much more sleek than her old shell. Three made the plastron replacements look realistic since Venus asked.

@phoenixanddust

Venus will be kind of a sad character for a while, but she will be happy in the end! Donnie and Mikey are the brothers she’s closest to. Donnie spoils her to the extreme, and Mikey is of course her twin so Vee likes to drive Mikey crazy. She is technically the baby of the family, but her and Mikey together are unstoppable when their wants align. Splinter stands no chance of saying no.

Venus does have a very dry sense of humor which leads to Three sometimes not even registering them as jokes. When she gets rescued she’s very much a girly girl. She likes dresses and bows and pink.

Three’s mind doesn’t really think of anything when he’s being rescued. It’s very much a “Savage Donnie” moment where he’s there and talking, but he’s so upset that his mind has gone blank. But even then, Big Mama has kept Venus away for nearly a year, so Three thinks he’s been abandoned and Venus isn’t really on his mind…. Their reunion Cont👇

@cavern-of-shenanigans @orderedchaosthings2

Venus will see Donnie again somewhere in the middle of “season one”. It won’t be a long reunion, but enough for Donnie to realize he’s been enjoying living with his family, while Venus has been stuck being Big Mama and Draxum’s errand girl. He feels extremely guilty for basically giving up on her. He allowed his bad thoughts, and visions (yes he does see her as well) to convince him that she has abandoned him, but it turns out, all this time, it was the other way around.

Unfortunately, Donnie was the only one to see Venus, and he thinks the fam won’t believe him when he tells them about seeing her, but he’s surprised to find out that they do and they all promise Donnie they’ll rescue her.

In season 2 they run into Venus again, and Donnie is able to have a better conversation with her, but Big Mama has done such a good job spinning lies, that Venus runs off before Donnie can convince her he’s sincerely sorry about leaving her behind. This is when the family learns that Mikey and Venus are twins. Mikey feels bad that Venus seems to have fallen into Big Mama’s web, we will see him angry with Big Mama for the first time on Venus’s behalf.

At the season 2 midpoint Venus agrees to help with Draxum’s cleansing ritual.

At the s2 finale we will see her still aligned with Big Mama BUT….[spoiler] and she will disappear to get her mind together.

She will make a short appearance in the movie.

S3 will be very Venus and Jennika heavy, and it’ll all be about their integration into the family unit. Jennika has her own life in the Hidden City, but Venus will split her time with the family and [spoiler].

The boys really all treat Venus as the little, baby sister, but all to varying degrees. April, Donnie, and Raph dote on her, Leo is wayyy too overprotective and Mikey rubs being slightly older in her face all the time, but they will team up to be The Ultimate Youngest™️. Out of all the “sister group” April and Venus get along the most like sisters. April really helps Venus be girly and learn it’s okay to enjoy these things, to be more than just a mindless drone (Leo will very often help with this mindset as well, and it allows them something deeper to bond over).

[is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not]

Condensed excerpts from The Phoenix Clans: Blood Spirits and Wolverines in the Era of the Third Star League

By Professor Alexandra Holt

Unity City University Press, Terra | Published 3160

Chapter 8: The Impossible Restored – The Return of Clans Blood Spirit and Wolverine

The rebirth of Clans Blood Spirit and Wolverine in the closing months of 3153 marked a defining moment in the evolution of Clan society, shattering long-held assumptions about the permanence of Annihilation. For decades and centuries reapectively, these Clans had been written off as footnotes in history, one condemned by ilKhan Nicholas Kerensky himself, the other cast aside as a casualty of shifting Clan politics. Their reemergence, orchestrated under the leadership of ilKhan Alaric Ward and facilitated by the complex web of allegiances forming around the reborn Star League, not only rewrote the past but signaled a future where the Clans would no longer be prisoners of their own rigid traditions.

At the time of their restoration, the reformed Clans faced a daunting challenge: to prove that they could stand among their peers as equals, rather than mere relics of a bygone era. Today, in 3160, Clan Blood Spirit reigns over a new domain, controlling many worlds, among them the Devil’s Rock, Pollux, and Castor systems, securing not only strategic positions within the Inner Sphere but also key industrial capacity: it is they who hold the remains of the superheavy 'Mech production lines on Devil's Rock. Their holdings even extend into the former Clan Protectorate, where they share governance over key worlds with their allies. Clan Wolverine, meanwhile, has cemented its place within the Grand Council once more, integrating its unique martial traditions with those of the modern Clan structure. These Clans, once hunted to extinction, now stand unshaken in the new era of the Clans.

The Resurgence of Clan Wolverine

For over three centuries, the story of Clan Wolverine had been one of silence and erasure. Declared Annihilated in 2823, their legacy had been reduced to whispered warnings, a cautionary tale of the cost of defying the Clans. Even speaking their name had been considered a crime among the Clans, a final act of contempt for those who had dared to resist Nicholas Kerensky’s vision. But the truth had never aligned with the myths told among the Clans. The Wolverines had not been destroyed. They had endured.

The Clans had long assumed the Wolverines met their end on the Deep Periphery world of Barbados, but in reality, they had slipped beyond the reach of their pursuers. Their escape was costly, and by the time they had found refuge among the Belter communities of the distant Periphery, many of their warriors had perished, including Khan Sarah McEvedy, whose body succumbed to the lingering effects of radiation exposure from the nuclear firestorms that had nearly consumed them. Even with the Belters’ advanced medical technology, she could not be saved. Her son, Owen McEvedy, was left to guide the survivors, a task he would take up with remarkable determination.

McEvedy and his people moved among the shadows of history, never revealing their true origins, never drawing attention to their cause - save the brief raiding campaign of the so-called "Minnesota Tribe". Over time, the majority of their number filtered through the Inner Sphere and settled on McEvedy’s Folly, a Rimward Periphery world named for an ancestor of Sarah’s from the days of the original Star League. There, they rebuilt, blending their traditions with the knowledge of the Belters, adapting, but never forgetting. By the time the Clan Invasion struck the Inner Sphere in 3050, some of the Wolverines had taken on a new guise, operating as the mercenary unit Barghest Company. Their hatred for the Clans had not waned, nor had their skill in battle, and when they took the field against the Wolves, their fury was unmistakable.

Yet it was not until 3153, during Operation TOUCHDOWN, that their secret was finally uncovered. Commanding General Melissa Hazen had long suspected the Wolverines had survived, having been party to the discovery of fragments of evidence allthe way back in 3024, when she had fought in the Aurigan Civil War. She had pursued the truth for decades, and during the first phase of the Helios campaign, she confirmed what many had dismissed as legend - not only was Wolverine still alive, but so was Owen McEvedy, all of 313 years old and still in his prime. When she presented her findings to ilKhan Alaric Ward, he did not hesitate. The Grand Council was called into session, and after a brief but historic debate, the decree of Annihilation was rescinded. The name of Wolverine was spoken once more, not in whispers, but in honor.

On October 9, 3153, with a vote of 12 for to 1 against, Clan Wolverine was reborn.

The Return of Clan Blood Spirit

The story of Clan Blood Spirit’s return was even more improbable. Unlike the Wolverines, their fate had been sealed not in the early centuries of Clan history but in 3084, when they were systematically destroyed by Clan Star Adder in an act of ruthless pragmatism disguised as a Trial of Absorption. Haven and Honor, their last holdings in the Colleen system, had been annihilated by orbital bombardment, and their genetic legacies reduced buried in the ashes. The Clans had moved on, and for decades, there was no indication that even a single Blood Spirit had survived.

But history had once again miscalculated.

Hannah Lewis, a Star Commander of the Blood Spirits, should have perished in 3076, when a Star Adder WarShip fired upon her vessel during a skirmish in the York system. Her compartment was breached, and she was ejected into the void, left to die in the cold embrace of space. But as fate would have it, at that precise moment, the Blood Spirit JumpShip she had just been aboard attempted an emergency K-F jump. Hannah, still within the field radius of the ship’s jump drive, was pulled into hyperspace - the first, and to date only, known instance of a human being surviving a K-F jump outside of a spacecraft.

But what happened next defied every law of physics understood by modern science. While the Blood Spirit craft completed its jump correctly, Hannah Lewis misjumped.

Hannah was thrown forward in time, and emerged from hyperspace not in 3076, but in 3147 - and far, far from where she was meant to be. Somehow emerging on the surface of the Periphery world of That One, over 1900 light years from where she started. Alone, displaced from everything she had known, she adapted. She wandered the Periphery as a mercenary, harboring a seething hatred for Clan Star Adder, the architects of her people’s destruction. It was not until she heard the call for warriors to join Operation TOUCHDOWN that she saw an opportunity to reclaim her purpose.

Upon enlisting with the SLDF, Hannah found something she had never expected—a future. In the first week of the campaign, she did what no one could have predicted: she declared herself Khan of the reborn Clan Blood Spirit. Rallying new converts - including her lovers: her eventual saKhan Amber Ryder, and Xerxes Truscott, Totem Warrior of Clan Star Adder - the very same Clan that had destroyed Blood Spirit decades before. Starting with these and a handful of others, Khan Lewis began to rebuild her Clan, even in the midst of a war.

With Melissa Hazen’s support, Hannah’s claim was brought before the Grand Council. Unlike the fierce debate surrounding Clan Wolverine, the decision on the Blood Spirits was immediate. Every Clan in the Inner Sphere—Wolf, Jade Falcon, Ghost Bear, Snow Raven, Sea Fox, Smoke Jaguar, and Hell’s Horses—voted unanimously in favor of recognition. Clan Blood Spirit was reborn, with Hannah as its Khan and Amber Ryder, as its saKhan.

In the years since TOUCHDOWN, Clan Blood Spirit has carved out a formidable new domain, securing Devil’s Rock, Pollux, and Castor as their core holdings, taking joint control of key worlds in the former Clan Protectorate. Their control over the Ares superheavy OmniMech production lines has cemented their economic and military resurgence, ensuring that they will never again be a footnote in Clan history.

The Phoenixes Reborn

The restoration of Clans Wolverine and Blood Spirit was more than an act of reconciliation; it was a fundamental shift in Clan identity. Their return proved that Annihilation was no longer absolute, that history was no longer immutable. It was the ultimate testament to the evolving nature of the Clans in the era of the Star League, a bold declaration that the sins of the past could be forgiven, and that even the most broken legacies could rise again.

[saywhatjessie]

This article was too hot for my editor to want to publish it on the website so I'm posint it here, babey!

Would Spider-Man help catch the UHC Assassin?

Current events have Spider-Man fans asking, “What is justice?" And how would our favorite web-slinger deal with this?”

Since the lethal shooting of United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson on the morning of December 4th, citizens across the country and people around the world have been eagerly awaiting news of the so-far uncaptured assassin, but maybe not for the reasons one may expect.

By and large, people appear to be celebrating what they see as a direct action against the oppressive state of American health insurance and the predatory models of these businesses that end up with multi-billion dollar CEOs. Private insurance is inherently exploitative, killing 68,000 Americans every year due to denying them coverage for care that could otherwise have prevented their deaths. The fact that it’s been almost a week and the police are still trying to pinpoint a clear suspect since so many people had motive is entirely damning. It makes us wonder, since this happened on the streets of New York, would Spider-Man be assisting the NYPD in their search for this man many have been calling a hero? Or would he align with the will of the people and decide that justice has already been served?

Peter Parker has his own complicated history with billionaires, what with his relationship to Tony Stark and the fact that in later iterations of the comic, he becomes a CEO himself of Parker Industries. It could be easy to say, “Spider-Man doesn’t kill, and he knows that billionaires are people too, so he would surely help hunt this killer.” But I’m not so sure.

The way this case has been playing out already reads like a comic book: the assassin shot this man in broad daylight on a city street and then made his getaway on a Citibike. He wrote “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” on the bullets, making sure there could be no mistake of what the motive was and why this man was killed. His backpack was found after four days, full of Monopoly money, and his gun appears to be a weapon mainly used to euthanize pigs. This is the kind of action comic book writers salivate over: the themes, the metaphor, the cheeky false evidence. The gunman’s avoided detection for so long because he’s been playing with the US Justice Department’s reliance on a surveillance state, exploiting the nature of essentially living in a panopticon and adjusting for it. He is vengeance. He is justice. And people are responding.

There have been calls for economic revolution in this country for decades, but especially in the last few years. The cost of living continually escalating and a global pandemic leaving many financially and sometimes literally crippled, with medical care being denied left and right, has left many—most, even—completely unsympathetic toward billionaires. People celebrate pods of killer whales sinking yachts off the coast of Spain, protestors have shown up outside of CEOs’ homes with guillotines, and there was a party on Twitter when the OceanGate submersible killed 3 billionaires in an implosion last year. And who can blame them? When growing up, all our cartoons were about fighting against corporate greed and giving back to the people; of course we’re going to cheer for the downfall of the richest among us. From Robin Hood to What’s New, Scooby Doo? It’s always been about plucky upstarts spitting in the face of public officials and taking down the people with enough money that laws wouldn’t touch them. One of the opening scenes of The Incredibles (2004), Bob Parr nearly kills his boss at Insuracare, outraged at his denial of claims and dismissal of human life. And this was his return to heroism. Our feelings about this don’t change just because it’s happening in real life. 

Shops around the world have sold out of jackets that look similar to the one the assassin wore, and New Yorkers held a UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter look-a-like contest. The community is rallying around this man, internet sleuths refusing to assist police in finding the killer. Who’s to say Spider-Man wouldn’t refuse, too?

I wouldn’t be surprised if a fictional version of the past week’s events eventually showed up in a comic somewhere—in several comic universes, really—and I’m sure different writers would have their take on what Spider-Man would do. But my Spidey would let the cops figure it out. I think he’d figure that since the state of American insurance is the government’s fault, it should be the government to sort out the consequences on their own.

[fandom-susceptible]

TDP Rewatch S1 E9: Wonderstorm

Honestly, I respect the title of this episode. Well played, Wonderstorm Pictures. Well played.

BAIT got the intro voice, omg, I forgot that happened.

Did they ever explain why Ezran can talk to animals? I don't remember them ever explaining that.

After getting distracted running through a rabbit hole I have found an excerpt from Callum's spellbook and also a Discord Q&A that agree that Ezran's basically an empath, like Betazoids from Star Trek. Animals don't speak to him in words, he just connects with them on an emotional level and relays the words their vibes convey.

So basically Ezran instantly connects to all animals in the way that many cat owners connect with our cats, where the little furballs are incomprehensible eldritch horrors to everyone else but we see them staring Like That and know they're asking for That One Specific Food, or the like. and it's stronger with Zym because Archdragons are semi-telepathic to begin with as well. I actually like this.

The episode hadn't even started yet I just went off on that tangent because of the "previously on".

I really do love Callum and Ezran's relationship. It feels like actual brothers. Like here, right now, they've been united in this whole trip but they're having an actual fight over Ezran's ability to talk to animals, which has been an ongoing sore spot between them for years. Siblings fight! It's a thing that happens! These two just still love each other anyway, it's not something that taints all of their interactions forever, and it's just. Real nice to see.

Of course Ellis believes Ezran. That vibe is what she has with Ava.

Soren and Claudia also have a well-written sibling relationship, it just hurts a lot more.

"Yup. Ignorin' it. Keep movin'." Rayla's true hick origins come to light. YES, GIRL, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU DO WITH CREEPY SOUNDS IN THE WOODS. DON'T FUCK WITH THEM AND LESS OF THEM FUCK WITH YOU. Also this is probably a legit survival strategy in Moonshadow Forest, given how it apparently is also just full of random illusions that lead one astray, like a moon-aligned Mirkwood. "I'm going to share an old elven proverb with you. When travelin' up a mountain tryin' to save a dyin' dragon egg, and ye hear a spooky sound, just keep walkin'." kills me though, lmao, that's so specific but I bet she really did get warnings along this line growing up in the woods.

You know how I mentioned Mirkwood? This episode always makes me think of Mirkwood. All the damn spiderwebs, and the giant spiders.

Rayla also seems familiar with the concept of giant spiderwebs and what breaking the threads might bring on them, which is fascinating to me. Where has she seen this before. Is Moonshadow Forest really just fully knockoff Mirkwood? I mean, she did just see that other body wrapped up in webs, that might be all she's referencing, but it's fun to speculate.

The Jerkface Dance makes me so happy. These boys are so sweet with each other. He's such a good brother.

What must Lujanne have been thinking when she first looked down and saw them? Saw another young elf on approach?

A lot of Ava's really acrobatic stuff makes no real sense if she has only three legs. However, other people can see and feel her leg, so I'm inclined to just headcanon that there's some substance and support to the illusion, like a hard light projection from Star Trek but with magic. She just needs the collar for it to stay on, and it is true that a three-legged animal could probably get along pretty okay with the level of support she had through her recovery, just not with some of her tricks.

Lujanne's having a really weird night.

These kids tried so hard. Imagine what Lujanne must be going through, too, realizing the egg was recovered just to be lost, getting all these shreds of information about what happened without the full story.

Rayla being the one to save Zym's egg from falling is an excellent moment for her redeeming her parents' legacy.

Zym really opts to be dramatic before hes even done hatching, huh?

Bait being the first thing Zym ever saw though, lmao.

Baby Zym baby Zym!

oooh, nice, and her binding snapped off at where it was tied; it wasn't just chewed apart. I'm going to assume that it worked not because Zym's a dragon or an archdragon, per se, but because he's one of the subjects of the binding, and that's why Runaan's is gone after his resurrection. By releasing Rayla, Zym broke the enchantment that was linked to all six bindings, too.

That hand reaching towards the inside of the mirror in the credits sketch haunted my nightmares as a kid.

I like that Lujanne looks worried about the spell that reaches them from Soren and Claudia. She obviously realized something wasn't right.

[lephamquynhnhu]

Panacea

Chapter 1: Pretty ripples on water

Dan Feng x Fem!Reader

WARNINGS/ TAGS: The reader has a default name, OOC. (This is a work of fanfiction, events are not aligned or relevant to the original work)

Word count: ~1,1k

Summary: He met you on a drizzling day when hydrangea fully bloomed on its field. Amidst the sea of mild pastel petals, Dan Feng never thought the flowery domain that intertwined your fate was the precise thing withered with you. They said he was a dragon, a hero, a sinner, but never a person with love, hatred, sorrow, or joy like everyone else in this world. However, it was a demi-truth. He committed the cardinal sin because of you.

Note: Do you like...pain?

The soothing melody of raindrops falling through the thick foliage barely touches his hair as Dan Feng strides on the worn path underneath. The Ten-Lords commissioned him to investigate the supernatural phenomena in the Faery Forest, which inhabitants rumor it recently haunted. The golden sun conceals itself behind the aloft gloomy clouds draping an eerily grey ambiance, and the voidness of birds singing wafts a scary serenity.

There are plenty of stories and myths about the woods, but the infamous one was a wise Nymph who guarded the forest as the Alliance established. When the first Denizen of Abundance occurred, to preserve her homeland from the crossfire of the war, the Nymph divided herself into divine fragments asunder to enhance the endurance of the woods. Thanks to the Nymph's might, her forest remained intact after devastating battles. However, she could not regain her strength to unite divinity, so the wise Nymph gradually faded, her name eventually fell into oblivion, and the story is no more than a mythopedia. It is said that her Authorities dissolved in the forest to protect her beloved homeland forever. The native Loufu named the woods based on that story, and whatever the stories are, this forest has sustained through many sanguinary warfare and become one of the most venerated destinations.

The report says that citizens who live near the haunted place or some passing by currently hear a bizarre resonance in the Faery forest at dawn, and they even claim to witness jack-o'-lantern at twilight. To verify the statement, Dan Feng's presence from the blush of morn strolling around an hour and finds nothing akin to the rumor. The drizzle is getting heavier as raindrops start seeping through his attire. Looking at the overcast sky through a dense web of leaves, he forecasts it will soon be a downpour. When Dan Feng considers postponing the commission, a weak sound threads through ancient arbors, which beat like a song - a nursery rhyme. Simultaneously, a chilly breeze permeates with moisture rises as though pushing him toward the siren as soon as the resonance appears. The glint of surprise quickly quenches when Imbibitor Lunae decides to follow the sound's origin.

He keeps running with all senses on guards under the last remnants of light dimly lit his way until a field of flowers welcomes him when exiting the forest. Dan Feng never thought there would be people living beyond the woods and isolating themselves from society. Reflecting in those cyan irises is a girl standing amidst the hydrangea fully bloomed on its field, who raises her voice while one hand holds a cart of multi-colored flowers and the other curls around the axis of her umbrella. Suddenly, when detecting a foreigner's existence, you stop singing and tilt your head toward his position. To your right, an emotionless man with a prominent horned crown atop his forehead whom you know precisely. The drizzle turns into rain as water continuously trails down the High Elder's porcelain face.

"Your Majesty, it may become torrential rain. Would you like to shelter at my house?" - You kindheartedly open an invitation while sauntering to Dan Feng and sharing your umbrella. A weary inquiry escapes Imbibitor Lunae's lips as he notices you use the title in greeting, but Dan Feng only receives a mysterious smile.

Outside the limited space, raindrops seem progressively heavier when they drum on the umbrella panel, and the surroundings are covered in a misty veil. The calm demeanor in the Long Scion's eyes never wavers, and you can tell he sights right through your soul, searching for something. A familiar feeling creeps up his mind, yet somehow different. "Yes, please lead the way." - Dan Feng eventually accepts your invitation after a brief moment as he gently takes the shalt from your gloved hand.

After avoiding the rain at your house, all suspicions were clear, and he assumed to close the case because the enigmatic echo was your singing voice, and the fen-fire originated from your paper lantern. When Dan Feng mentioned those phenomena, an astonishment tinged your face yet soon morphed into grinning. "My sincere apologies, Your Majesty. But, you may conclude your commission now." - You breathlessly said while trying to regain your formal posture.

The crispy sound of embers crackling mingles with thunderbolts from afar, which craft an inexplicably refreshing atmosphere. Compared to the natural noise outside, Dan Feng thinks your voice seems to dissolve into the ether. Although those emerald orbs never leave the white wall made from endless heavy raindrops, his attention still focuses on your conversation. Besides, the High Elder learned you are a florist who has settled here about three years. "I succeeded in my grandmother's business after looking after her ailment.'' - Your tone is monotonous, but a distant feeling boiling up while leisurely replenishing his teacup. Dan Feng keeps practicing a good listener's role and slowly sips the tea. The smoky steam flowing at the brim that carries a floral scent of Wildrose thread through his nostrils reduces mind stress.

Unknowingly, your one-way dialogue at the wooden terrace goes smoothly under the chilly downpour of early summer. When the homemade delicacy marries with the beverage is out of stock, and the tea is drying up in the pot, the shower stops falling, which renders a landscape as spectacular as pictured. At first, Dan Feng thought your lifestyle was a little too austere as if the only living being at a monastery and sealing away the community. Nevertheless, he comprehends the reason as the sunlight shines brightly again. The previous rain aqua absolutes all reveal a Shangri-La with a boundless field of vivid flowers. Boasting butterflies start levitating around the garden while a rainbow faintly appears on the horizon.

Imbibitor Lunae intended to carry his commission, but now, this Elysium might cast a spell to change his mind, to return once again. Furthermore, the treat you offered also brings up his appetite, so Dan Feng wants to taste them once again.

"Do you wish to grow any plant's breed?" - The High Elder says as he stands up from the wooden chair, fetching his cloak with eyes still fixed on the flowery domain unfold. You tilt your head quizzically because it is uncommon for him to open the conversation, unable to respond immediately. "I want to compensate you for your kindhearted hospitality." - He quickly clarifies your inquiry as if possessing mind-reading arts. This time, Dan Feng initiates eye contact with you; a gentle wind blows through, causing dispersed petals to swirl around. His lashes lightly move in approval when he hears your answer. Empirical Peony sure will gorgeously bloom under your care. Before leaving, Dan Feng abruptly halts his foot as he realizes he has forgotten something essential.

"What is your name?" You look at his tall back while snickering behind your palm to suppress the giggles. A cozy orange hue from the blazing flame that nestles in your fireplace shimmers on your face as you answer "Yi Ting. Yi in ripples on water, Ting in pretty."

[dailybugle-blr]

"Team Red" Takes to the Streets: Daredevil, Deadpool, and Spider-Man Unite

by Clara Haynes, reporter

Photo submitted by Peter Parker

NEW YORK CITY - In a city teeming with crime and chaos, a new trio of masked crusaders has emerged, striking fear into the hearts of criminals and drawing both admiration and skepticism from the public. This unlikely alliance, dubbed "Team Red," consists of Daredevil, Deadpool and Spider-Man – three enigmatic figures with their own unique styles of crime-fighting. But as they join forces to combat the forces of evil, questions arise: are they the heroes New York needs, or are they merely another band of vigilantes running amok in our streets?

Daredevil, or Devil of Hell's Kitchen, has long been a symbol of justice, using his heightened senses and martial arts prowess to defend the innocent and uphold the law. His relentless pursuit of justice has earned him both praise and condemnation, but his commitment to his cause remains unwavering.

Deadpool, or Merc with a Mouth, brings his own brand of chaotic energy to the team. Armed with an arsenal of weapons and a quick wit, Deadpool's unorthodox methods often leave a trail of destruction in his wake. While some see him as a reckless wildcard, others admire his willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done.

And then there's Spider-Man, the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler. With his incredible agility, web-slinging abilities and sense of responsibility, Spider-Man has become a beloved figure in the city, swinging into action whenever danger strikes. But his association with Team Red raises eyebrows among some, who question whether he's aligning himself with the right crowd.

"Team Red may have good intentions, but their methods leave much to be desired," said Captain George Stacy of the NYPD. "We can't have masked vigilantes running around unchecked, putting themselves and others at risk. It's a recipe for disaster."

Despite the controversy surrounding them, Team Red continues to operate in the shadows, taking on the criminal underworld with gusto and determination. Whether they will be hailed as heroes or condemned as vigilantes remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: with Team Red on the streets, New York City will never be the same.

[irhabiya]

i'm not gonna pretend at all to be as educated as i would like to be about swana geopolitics, but pan arabism is such a weird ideology i can't for the life of me figure out my opinion on. cause i can definitely see the value of swana countries presenting a united front against western imperialism (something we very much are Not Fucking Doing and it's driving me insane), but the way so many ppl talk about it is very much giving white liberal vibes. like "just forget the shit my country has done and is currently doing to yours so we don't have to confront our own issues, thx <3" which is like..... buddy i hate to break it to you, that's not how solidarity works. i don't get why there's such a huge proportion of arabs that spout all this shit about unity but are incapable of recognizing the role their countries played in it. it's behavior i've gotten used to from white moderates in america when we talk about shit like reparations and abolition, so i'm just baffled to be seeing the same arguments play out here. is there an arab-equivalent to white fragility?

idfk, i'm rambling here. i'm arab myself but i only recently started trying to make sense of the web of swana politics and i feel like that scene from community where donald glover walks into a room to find the whole place on fire. which let's be real, i expected, but i'm still confused as shit.

well imo that's the thing, any version of pan-arabism that existed for national liberation or anti western imperialism in the middle east died decades ago. whole arab states act as arms of western imperialism in the region now

and even then it's not unreasonable to scrutinize it back when you could make an argument that it was anti-imperialist. in egypt copts, siwi amazigh, nubians and jews have been marginalized on the basis that they're not arab. coptic was banned and neglected in favor of arabic. it's very silly to act like people aren't marginalized by how "arab" they are, i say this as a muslim non-black egyptian who will always be racialized as part of the arab majority in the country. others who are marginalized can speak on this from experience why better than i can.

pan-arabists rn from what i see are not serious anti-imperialists, it really seems to me that they use that "we're all just brothers and sisters please no infighting" to comfort themselves and deflect whenever anyone brings up their country's shitty foreign policies and alignment with western imperialism

[republicsecurity]

For his own good!

As the hum of the Neuro-VR machine filled the chamber, R1D89 and M4T76 moved to the adjacent control room, where a large monitor displayed the conscript’s neural activity and psychological profile. The interface was sleek and ominously efficient, a testament to the Republic’s advanced technology.

R1D89 began to analyze the data, scrolling through the conscript’s cognitive and emotional responses. “This one shows a high aptitude for strategic thinking and quick decision-making under pressure. Could be useful for tactical operations or command training.”

M4T76 nodded, peering over R1D89’s shoulder. “Yes, but he also has a strong sense of empathy and individualism. That could be problematic for compliance and uniformity. We’ll need to suppress those traits carefully, for his own good.”

“Agreed,” R1D89 said, making a few adjustments on the console. “Let’s start by dampening the emotional responses tied to empathy. We can reprogram his memories to prioritize loyalty to the Republic over personal connections. As for his individualism, we’ll need to enhance his sense of duty and collective identity. Highlight memories that reinforce teamwork and obedience. It’s essential for his successful integration and well-being within our system.”

M4T76 leaned back, considering the conscript’s profile. “What about his physical conditioning? He’s already athletic, but we should still enhance his resilience and endurance. Standard upgrades should include a liking for uniforms, admiration for muscular, bald comrades, and an increased tendency towards training and sports. That should help integrate him into the Enforcer culture seamlessly.”

R1D89 keyed in the upgrades, nodding in agreement. “We can’t change him too much, though. We need to balance his personality with the occupational specialty we have in mind. He needs to retain enough of his original traits to function effectively in his role. This balance is crucial for his own good, to ensure he remains functional and content.”

“Right,” M4T76 agreed. “We’ll also store his suppressed memories in the central database. If he cycles out of conscript duty, we can reinstall them, ensuring he retains his civilian identity and experiences. It’s a safeguard, so he can return to his former self when the time comes.”

They both paused for a moment, the gravity of their work weighing on them. The conscript’s neural map flickered on the screen, a complex web of thoughts and emotions now at their command.

“The transformation will take several sessions,” R1D89 said, breaking the silence. “We’ll start with the foundational conditioning today, then proceed with the personality adjustments over the next few weeks.”

M4T76 nodded, setting the parameters for the first session. “First, we’ll reinforce his attraction to the uniforms and the ideal physical form of his comrades. This will help him bond with the unit and increase his overall motivation. It’s for his own good, making him feel more connected and driven.”

“And then we’ll work on suppressing specific memories,” R1D89 added, selecting key moments from the conscript’s past. “Any ties to his previous life that might conflict with his new identity. Family gatherings, personal achievements that foster individualism, friendships that don’t align with our goals. We’ll store these safely for later retrieval. It’s all part of ensuring he can fully embrace his new role without conflict.”

M4T76 activated the first phase of the conditioning process. “This should suffice for today. The Neuro-VR will take care of the rest, subtly altering his neural pathways to align with our objectives. And ultimately, it’s for his own good, to ensure he thrives in his new environment.”

They watched as the machine went to work, the conscript’s body twitching slightly as the programming began to take hold. The electrodes buzzed with renewed energy, embedding the new directives deep into his subconscious.

R1D89 and M4T76 exchanged a knowing look. “It’s always a delicate balance,” M4T76 said quietly. “But in the end, it’s for his own good and for the greater good of the Republic.”

[warningsine]

As world leaders scramble to avert a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah, there is another conflict on a scale perhaps unimaginable to many they should rush to prevent as well.

It is a repeat, like Israel-Hezbollah in 2006, of a war that raged between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda between August 1998 and July 2003. By the time it ended, nine African countries and 20 rebel groups were involved. At least 5.4 million people died as a result of fighting, disease and malnutrition and 7 million were displaced. Africa’s World War — or the Great War of Africa, as it came to be known — was the world’s deadliest conflict since World War II.

Today, conflict between Congolese and Rwandan leaders has sharpened dangerously, peace initiatives have collapsed, an arms race is underway and deadly clashes between both sides and militias aligned to them are frequent. All the warning lights for a repeat of the 1998-2003 war are flashing.

Tensions have been simmering for years, with frequent reports of serious cross-border clashes in the eastern provinces of Congo. War talk and violence ramped up in the run-up to the Congolese election in December and have intensified over the past seven months. Weeks before the poll, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said Rwandan President Paul Kagame was behaving like Adolf Hitler and had ambitions to expand Rwanda into eastern Congo.

"I promise he will end up like Hitler,” Tshisekedi warned. Rwanda said the Congolese president’s words were a "loud and clear threat."

On July 9, a United Nations expert report confirmed widely circulated accusations that Uganda and Rwanda are backing the powerful M23 rebel group in eastern Congo. The report warned that the crisis "carried the risk of triggering a wider regional conflict." Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo responded that Tshisekedi had "consistently threatened to declare war on Rwanda" and that her country "will continue to defend itself."

The reasons for the fighting are decades-old and complex, yet currently boil down to various players’ bid to dominate Congo’s abundant mineral resources.

After the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which 1 million ethnic Tutsi were killed by mainly Hutu ethnic groups, militias implicated in the murders fled into eastern Congo. The Rwandan army pursued them, arguing that it had to arrest perpetrators of the genocide and destroy their networks. This happened again in 1998, triggering the great war and spawning a web of vested interests involving neighboring nations and armed militias, mercenaries, mining companies, local and regional politicians, China, the United States and other global powers seeking a toehold in the region. Large parts of Congo have since been occupied by ruthless armed groups profiting from illegal mining.

The country produces nearly 70% of the world’s cobalt, while the Great Lakes region that Congo is a part of is rich with tin, tantalum, tungsten, lithium and gold — all of which are key components of electric vehicle batteries, cell phones, refrigerators, jewelry, airplane parts, cars and other goods. As of 2020, Chinese firms owned or had stakes in 15 of the 19 cobalt producing mines in Congo. Between 2022 and 2050, demand for nickel will double, cobalt will triple and lithium rise tenfold, according to the International Energy Agency.

A conflagration will potentially affect or draw in other countries. Apart from Congo, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi, a plethora of armed groups is already in the region. The 11,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping mission (which goes by the French acronym MONUSCO) was supposed to leave the country by year-end, but has been asked by the Congolese government to stay on indefinitely.

South Africa, Malawi and Tanzania already have troops in Congo as part of the Southern African Development Community’s peacekeeping mission deployed there last December. Congo’s neighbors Angola, the Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia could be pulled into the fighting. An East African Community Regional Force exited Congo in December and may be drawn back in.

That’s not all. The Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect, a nongovernmental organization, says that there are at least 120 armed militias operating in the region, while mercenaries such as those of Russia’s Wagner Group have been contracted by various players. And worryingly, Congo has been stocking up on arms. The country’s military spending experienced the highest increase in the world last year, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Spending on armored vehicles, drones and other military equipment more than doubled in a year to $794 million.

The 1998-2003 conflict ended because strong continental leaders intervened through dialogue. In 2000, African leaders adopted the Lome Declaration that expressly outlawed coups, thus giving the African Union the authority to stand up to belligerents.

The current political climate, called "an epidemic” of coups by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, makes it harder to intervene. Continental leadership of the type of the early 2000s is also lacking. In its last meeting on July 12, the African Union — its authority already undermined by swaggering coup leaders in Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and other nations experiencing democratic backsliding — failed to even place the Great Lakes crisis on its agenda.

Attempts to strike a new peace deal have floundered. On July 27, Tshisekedi told a meeting in Paris: "There are two processes. There was the Nairobi Process driven by Uhuru Kenyatta which, unfortunately, was subsequently managed by the new president William Ruto. He managed it very badly. The process is almost dead."

The second initiative, the Luanda Process led by Angolan President Joao Lourenco, has made little headway after a disastrous meeting in February.

What now? At the request of the U.S., the belligerents have been observing a humanitarian truce for nearly a month, but clashes have continued. This truce should be used by international leaders — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has admirably been heavily involved with Lourenco — to encourage Tshisekedi and Kagame to dial down the rhetoric and come to the table.

China, which has sold arms to both sides this year and is the dominant foreign economic player in Congo’s mining sector, should do the same. Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates (both of which have mining interests in Congo) should also be acting. Crucially, other regional leaders such as South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya should be taking a leadership role alongside Angola’s president to avert a deterioration and assert Africa’s interests.

With 7.2 million people in the region already displaced by the war — 700,000 of them in just the first three months of this year — a further escalation would spell disaster for the continent.

[mariacallous]

The shocking Hamas assault on Israel has precipitated a beginning and an end for the Middle East. What has begun, almost inexorably, is the next war—one that will be bloody, costly, and agonizingly unpredictable in its course and outcome. What has ended, for anyone who cares to admit it, is the illusion that the United States can extricate itself from a region that has dominated the American national security agenda for the past half century.

One can hardly blame the Biden administration for trying to do just that. Twenty years of fighting terrorists, along with failed nation building in Afghanistan and Iraq, took a terrible toll on American society and politics and drained the U.S. budget. Having inherited the messy fallout from the Trump administration’s erratic approach to the region, President Joe Biden recognized that U.S. entanglements in the Middle East distracted from more urgent challenges posed by the rising great power of China and the recalcitrant fading power of Russia.

The White House devised a creative exit strategy, attempting to broker a new balance of power in the Middle East that would allow Washington to downsize its presence and attention while also ensuring that Beijing did not fill the void. A historic bid to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia promised to formally align Washington’s two most important regional partners against their common foe, Iran, and anchor the Saudis beyond the perimeter of China’s strategic orbit.

In tandem with this effort, the administration also sought to ease tensions with Iran, the most dangerous adversary the United States faces in the Middle East. Having tried and failed to resuscitate the 2015 nuclear deal with its elaborate web of restrictions and oversight of Iran’s nuclear program, Washington embraced a Plan B of payoffs and informal understandings. The hope was that, in exchange for modest economic rewards, Tehran could be persuaded to slow down its work on its nuclear programs and step back from its provocations around the region. Stage one came in September, with a deal that freed five unjustly detained Americans from Iranian prisons and gave Tehran access to $6 billion in previously frozen oil revenues. Both sides were poised for follow-on talks in Oman, with the wheels of diplomacy greased by record-level Iranian oil exports, made possible by Washington’s averting its gaze instead of enforcing its own sanctions.

As ambitious policy gambits go, this one had a lot to recommend it—in particular, the genuine confluence of interests among Israeli and Saudi leaders that has already generated tangible momentum toward more public-facing bilateral cooperation on security and economic matters. Had it succeeded, a new alignment among two of the region’s major players might have had a truly transformative impact on the security and economic environment in the broader Middle East.

WHAT WENT WRONG?

Unfortunately, that promise may have been its undoing. Biden’s attempt at a quick getaway from the Middle East had one fatal flaw: it wildly misperceived the incentives for Iran, the most disruptive actor on the stage. It was never plausible that informal understandings and a dribble of sanctions relief would be sufficient to pacify the Islamic Republic and its proxies, who have a keen and time-tested appreciation for the utility of escalation in advancing their strategic and economic interests. Iranian leaders had every incentive to try to block an Israeli-Saudi breakthrough, particularly one that would have extended American security guarantees to Riyadh and allowed the Saudis to develop a civilian nuclear energy program.

At this time, it is not known whether Iran had any specific role in the carnage in Israel. Earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal reported that Tehran was directly involved in planning the assault, citing unnamed senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group. That report has not been confirmed by Israeli or U.S. officials, who have only gone so far as to suggest that Iran was “broadly complicit,” in the words of Jon Finer, the deputy national security adviser. At the very least, the operation “bore hallmarks of Iranian support,” as a report in The Washington Post put it, citing former and current senior Israeli and U.S. officials. And even if the Islamic Republic did not pull the trigger, its hands are hardly clean. Iran has funded, trained, and equipped Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups and has coordinated closely on strategy, as well as operations—especially during the past decade. It is inconceivable that Hamas undertook an attack of this magnitude and complexity without some foreknowledge and affirmative support from Iran’s leadership. And now Iranian officials and media are exulting in the brutality unleashed on Israeli civilians and embracing the expectation that the Hamas offensive will bring about Israel’s demise.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR TEHRAN?

At first glance, Iran’s posture might appear paradoxical. After all, with the Biden administration proffering economic incentives for cooperation, it might seem unwise for Iran to incite an eruption between the Israelis and the Palestinians that will no doubt scuttle any possibility of a thaw between Washington and Tehran. Since the Iranian Revolution in 1979, however, the Islamic Republic has used escalation as a policy tool of choice. When the regime is under pressure, the revolutionary playbook calls for a counterattack to unnerve its adversaries and achieve a tactical advantage. And the war in Gaza advances the long-cherished goal of the Islamic Republic’s leadership to cripple its most formidable regional foe. Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has never wavered in his feverish antagonism toward Israel and the United States. He and those around him are profoundly convinced of American immorality, greed, and wickedness; they revile Israel and clamor for its destruction, as part of the ultimate triumph of the Islamic world over what they see as a declining West and an illegitimate “Zionist entity.”

In addition, in the Biden administration’s entreaties and conciliation, Tehran smelled weakness—Washington’s desperation to shed its 9/11-era baggage, even if the price was high. Domestic turmoil in both the United States and Israel likely also whet the appetites of Iranian leaders, who have long been convinced that the West was decaying from within. For this reason, Tehran has been committing more strongly to its relationships with China and Russia. Those links are primarily driven by opportunism and a shared resentment of Washington. But for Iran, there is a domestic political element as well: as more moderate segments of the Iranian elite have been pushed to the sidelines, the regime’s economic and diplomatic orientation has shifted to the East, as its power brokers no longer see the West as a preferable or even a viable source of economic and diplomatic opportunities. Closer bonds among China, Iran, and Russia have encouraged a more aggressive Iranian posture, since a crisis in the Middle East that distracts Washington and European capitals will produce some strategic and economic benefits for Moscow and Beijing.

Finally, the prospect of a public Israeli-Saudi entente surely provided an additional accelerant to Iran, as it would have shifted the regional balance firmly back in Washington’s favor. In a speech he delivered just days before the Hamas attack, Khamenei warned that “the firm view of the Islamic Republic is that the governments that are gambling on normalizing relations with the Zionist regime will suffer losses. Defeat awaits them. They are making a mistake.”

WHERE DOES IT GO FROM HERE?

As the Israeli ground campaign in Gaza gets underway, it is highly unlikely that the conflict will stay there; the only question is the scope and speed of the war’s expansion. For now, the Israelis are focused on the immediate threat and are disinclined to widen the conflict. But the choice may not be theirs. Hezbollah, Iran’s most important ally, has already taken part in an exchange of fire on Israel’s northern border, in which at least four of the group’s fighters died. For Hezbollah, the temptation to follow the shock of Hamas’s success by opening a second front will be high. But Hezbollah’s leaders have acknowledged that they failed to anticipate the heavy toll of their 2006 war with Israel, which left the group intact but also severely eroded its capabilities. They may be more circumspect this time around. Tehran also has an interest in keeping Hezbollah whole, as insurance against a potential future Israeli strike on the Iranian nuclear program.

For now, therefore, although the threat of a wider war remains real, that outcome is hardly inevitable. The Iranian government has made an art of avoiding direct conflict with Israel, and it suits Tehran’s purposes, as well as those of its regional proxies and patrons in Moscow, to light the fire but stand back from the flames. Some in Israel may advocate for hitting Iranian targets, if only to send a signal, but the country’s security forces have their hands full now, and senior officials seem determined to stay focused on the fight at hand. Most likely, as the conflict evolves, Israel will at some point hit Iranian assets in Syria, but not in Iran itself. To date, Tehran has absorbed such strikes in Syria without feeling the need to retaliate directly.

As oil markets react to the return of a Middle East risk premium, Tehran may be tempted to resume its attacks and harassment of shipping vessels in the Persian Gulf. U.S. General C. Q. Brown, the newly confirmed chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was right to warn Tehran to stay on the sidelines and “not to get involved.” But his choice of words unfortunately suggests a failure to appreciate that the Iranians are already deeply, inextricably involved.

For the Biden administration, it is long past time to shed the mindset that shaped prior diplomacy toward Iran: a conviction that the Islamic Republic could be persuaded to accept pragmatic compromises that served its country’s interests. Once upon a time, that may have been credible. But the Iranian regime has reverted to its foundational premise: a determination to upend the regional order by any means necessary. Washington should dispense with the illusions of a truce with Iran’s theocratic oligarchs.

On every other geopolitical challenge, Biden’s position has evolved considerably from the Obama-era approach. Only U.S. policy toward Iran remains mired in the outdated assumptions of a decade ago. In the current environment, American diplomatic engagement with Iranian officials in Gulf capitals will not produce durable restraint on Tehran’s part. Washington needs to deploy the same tough-minded realism toward Iran that has informed recent U.S. policy on Russia and China: building coalitions of the willing to ratchet up pressure and cripple Iran’s transnational terror network; reinstating meaningful enforcement of U.S. sanctions on the Iranian economy; and conveying clearly—through diplomacy, force posture, and actions to preempt or respond to Iranian provocations—that the United States is prepared to deter Iran’s regional aggression and nuclear advances. The Middle East has a way of forcing itself to the top of every president’s agenda; in the aftermath of this devastating attack, the White House must rise to the challenge.

[leveragecreditrecovery]

Building Bridges to Financial Empowerment: A Call to Read and Engage

Dear Community of Changemakers,

I am thrilled to share my latest article, Welcome to Yonkers Young Entrepreneurs: Building Bridges to Financial Empowerment.

https://open.substack.com/pub/tyroneglover/p/welcome-to-yonkers-young-entrepreneurs?r=1rkcyh&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

This is not just another piece of writing; it is a bold and transformative call to action that highlights the untapped potential of youth in marginalized communities and the power of financial literacy to ignite change.

Why You Should Read This Article:

1. A Vision for Impact: The article outlines a clear, actionable framework to empower communities through education, mentorship, and financial literacy. It’s a roadmap for anyone seeking to contribute meaningfully to breaking cycles of poverty and fostering generational wealth.

2. A Shared Mission: As philanthropists, donors, nonprofit organizations, educators, and advocates, your work is already aligned with the themes explored. This article amplifies that alignment, offering insights on how collective efforts can create lasting change.

3. The Stakes Are High: With economic disparities widening, the time to act is now. By building bridges to financial empowerment, we can unlock the potential of youth—our greatest asset—who are eager for guidance, opportunities, and a seat at the table.

4. Engaging and Inspiring: The article captures real stories, innovative strategies, and an unwavering belief in the transformative power of collaboration. It’s written to motivate, inspire, and challenge us all to do more.

What You Can Do Next:

• Read and Reflect: Dive into the article to better understand how your contributions are vital to the movement.

• Share Widely: Pass it along to your network, colleagues, and peers who share our vision for an empowered future.

• Join the Conversation: Reach out to explore partnerships, share ideas, or simply lend your voice to this important cause.

Together, we can leverage the tools of financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and mentorship to pave a brighter future for all, particularly for youth of color in marginalized communities. This article is an invitation to be part of something greater than ourselves—a movement toward equity, opportunity, and prosperity.

Thank you for your unwavering commitment to making a difference. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and collaborating to turn ideas into action.

With deepest gratitude and high hopes for the future,

Tyrone Glover

Co-Facilitator Leveraged Financial Literacy Investment Club / Executive Director and President Nonprofit Organizations Yonkers Young Entrepreneurs / CEO Leverage Credit Recovery / NAACP, Economic Development Committee Chair / Advocate / Activist / Honorable Discharged Veteran United States Army

P.S. Every share, every read, and every conversation counts. Let’s build bridges together